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““Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving””
— Albert Einstein
Walking - The Most Underrated Form Of Movement

Walking - The Most Underrated Form Of Movement

Taya Bregant
Fitness, Lifestyle

We are told to stay frequently active and keep our bodies moving, so most of us resort to running, going to the gym, or trying out different sports. While all forms of movement are good, we often underestimate how simple yet effective walking can be for our health.

It is something that the mast majority of people can do and is widely available to be done in various different locations. Instead of looking at walking as just a commuting thing or to go for a relaxing stroll, we can also try to incorporate walking, either on flat ground, uphill or at a faster pace, into our weekly lifestyle for a different and low impact form of movement.

Ready to explore why such a simple thing as walking can be so profound on our health?

Then read onwards 😊

WHY IS WALKING GENUINELY GOOD FOR YOU?


A simple action such as walking can have profound impacts on both your mental and physical health. Find out all about these benefits bellow:


MENTAL BENEFITS

  • Improves your mood

  • Reduces stress and anxiety

  • Improves memory and mental cognition

  • Increases general energy levels during the day and alertness

  • Reduces the frequency of depression and negative emotions

  • Fights against fatigue

  • Increases creativity


PHYSICAL BENEFITS

  • Improvs cardiovascular fitness and health

  • Improves muscle endurance

  • Works to prevent a variety of chronic conditions (heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, type II diabetes)

  • Reduces blood pressure

  • Slows down our resting heart rate

  • Contributes to maintaining a healthy weight

  • Strengthens our bones and muscle tissue

  • Helps with ensuring deeper sleep

  • Walking after a meal can help with lowering blood sugar and keeping it within healthy measures

  • Reduction in overall body fat

  • Works to improve your balance and coordination

  • Strengthens your immune system

  • Improves posture

  • Eases joint pain

HAVING THE RIGHT TECHNIQUE FOR WALKING

Although the vast majority of us know how to walk and can do so with ease, I wanted to direct some special attention to certain aspects of walking to watch out for:

  • When walking, keep your head up and your gaze directed forward, instead of looking down

  • Try not to walk while looking down at your phone since that additionally worsens your posture

  • Keep your shoulders, neck and back relaxed

  • Don't lean or slouch forward with your shoulders and instead keep them slightly more back to to keep a straight back and keep a good posture

  • Your arms swing alternatively with a slight bend in your elbow

  • Keep you abdominal muscles slightly tightened, helping to create a straighter back

  • When walking, your heel touches the ground first, rolling onto your toes afterwards

If you would like to use walking as a way to loose weight and tone your muscles, specialists think it is best to achieve this when we are repeatedly lowering and raising our heart rate, instead of keeping our heart rate at one pace. Therefore, if you decide to walk on a treadmill, make use of the incline and speed options to vary your walking movement and style on the treadmill to maximize your bodies caloric output. Similarly, if you rather walk outside, finding a hill or uneven trail path will also do the job just as well.

It is overall recommended to be active for at least 30minutes per day, where if you are a beginner when it comes to exercising, walking is a great way to start moving your body more an gradually start incorporating more different types of exercises into your daily or weekly routine as you feel more comfortable. Remember, moving your body should not be seen as a chore or something that you have to do, but instead, movement is something that you get to do. Not everyone has the ability or vitality to just freely move their body around, so if you do, respect and honor that ability.

HOW TO WALK MORE OFTEN

It is definitely true that if you want to make something a consistent habit, it is much more easier to do so if we find the activity enjoyable. Therefore, I have put together a list of ideas for how to personalize your walks and make them that much extra more enjoyable, while making sure to keep you consistent with them.

  • Try walking with friends or joining a walking group

  • To keep you motivated, use a walking app that will also simultaneously track your steps

  • Listen to music or a podcast while you walk

  • If you walk outdoors, try to keep the scenery or walking location varied

  • Investing in a good pair of walking shoes and activewear that makes you feel good

  • Track your progress in terms of how often you go on walks and how many steps you walk per day

  • Getting a dog who loves going on walks might give you a great source of motivation and enjoyment for going on more walks

  • Join online or in person walking challenges

  • Start with a simple walking goal and then gradually work your way up the numbers

  • Try varying your route or walking location to keep the walks more interesting

  • Don't be too hard on yourself if you miss a day or two or you find that somedays you just cant fit in a certain amount of steps. Its all okay, just keep trying your best

  • Try fitting in walking into more mundane parts of your day (Eg: Commuting, going on a walk during your lunch breaks, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking a bit further from your work place)

  • If you have a family, try finding a time for walks that works for all of you (Eg: After dinner)

🧠 KEY IDEAS

In this blog post we have looked at the profound and varied benefits that lie behind one of the most understated forms of exercise : Walking. Find out all about why its good for you, how to have a proper walking posture and some ideas for making your walks more enjoyable and exciting.

✏️ REFERENCES

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Eggs: A Friend Or A Foe?
All The Reasons Why Garlic Is Good For You

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